Amusement device



ca. 28 1924.A

H. G. TRAVER mUsEMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 9.,'1922 Patented @et 28, 14524.

HARRY G. TRAVEB', OF BEAVER FALLS, ENNSYLVANIA.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application vfiled February 9, 1922; Serial No. 535,285.

To all lwho/1n t may concern.'

IBe it known that I, HARRY Gr. TRAVER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the followino' is a specification.

his invention relates to amusement apparatus which are known as seaplane or aeroplane swings, such as is disclosed .in my rio-pending application, Serial No. 356,881, which matured into Patent No. 1,473,980, dated Nov. 13, 1923, in which passenger' carrying cars constructed and arranged to simulate hydroplanes are suspended from arms radiating from and supported byA a shaft supported to rotate on a vertical axis so that the cars will be caused to move in a circular path, and it is the objectof the present invention to provide means tol be utilized in' connection with the passenger carrying cars constructed and arranged to simulate the'v power plant or propelling means of an aeroplane or hydroplane whereby passengers, as well as lookers-on, will be impressed with the idea that the passenger carrying cars are equipped with and operated by a bona fide power plant, such as an internal combustion or gasolene engine and propeller, and to vprovide apparatus of this character which is novel and cheap in construction.

t is a further object of the invention to provide in connection with apparatus oit this character means to create a sound to simulate the sound of an operating gaso' lene engine, and to also provide means to create visible electric sparks to give the impression that the same is equipped with the usual electric ignition means of an internal combustion engine.

In carrying out' the invention I provide a casing having cylindrical members constructed, and arranged to simulate the crank case and cylinders of a multiple cylinder gasolene engine, the casing beingarranged to carry! an electric motor therein andadapted to be mounted uponthe forward 'end of a passenger carrying car, or to enclose a motor mounted upon the'car, with the shaft of the motor extended through theend of.

the"'casing and having a propeller lined thereon. The respectivev cylindrical members have mounted thereon sparking meansto simulatev electric ignition plugs, said plugs being constructed and ar 'anged to create a4 spark and expose the same for visual observation, said plugs being con nected with. a source of electricity and arranged .in the connection thereotl with elec tric contact making and breaking means whereby to successivelyopen and close the circuit for the respective plugs.

1in the'drawing accompanying and torniing apart of this'speciication, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of thepresent invention mounted upon the forward end of a 'passenger carrying car used in connection with aeroplane swings, only so much of the car being shown as is essential to an understanding ot the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational View looking at the front of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure t is a sectional side elevation to show the arrangement of connecting the cylindrical members to the casing.

F igure. 5 is a Ydetail view to show the arrangement of the sparking means on an enlargeol scale; and

Figure 6 is an end elevation to show the means to successively make and break the circuit for the respective sparking devices.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the diderent views oi' the drawing.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, I provide a casing consisting of endv members 7 and 8, a top member 9 and sides 10, and the casing may also have a bottom member 11, with cylindrical membersy 12 connected to the casing, preterably to the ytop and arranged in alinement, the casing and cylinders being constructed and arranged to simulate the crank case and cylinders oit' a multiple cylinder gast 'lene engine. To secure the cyiincrical members to the casingy El. head 18 (Figure Il) is arranged in each end otitlie cylinders and maintained at the ends of the' cylinders in spaced relation by a sleeve Mathe cylinders being secured to the casing by tie members 15 passingfthrough av perforation in the lieads'13,'the sleeve 14, casing wall and a tubular meinberl extending over the top of the Cylinders with nuts threaded on to the opposite ends of the tie members. These tier members 15 are preferably tubular for va purpose to Vbe yhereinafter described.

The casing with the ,connected Y, cylinders llO ' at C, constructed and arranged rior of th is adapted to be mounted upon the passenger carrying cars, preferably .the forward end of the body, shown in a general Way to simulate the fuselage of a hydroplane. An electric m-otor M is mounted within the casing, or the same may be mounted upon the body of the car and the casing arranged to serve as an enclosure vfor the same. A propeller 17 is fixed to the end of the shaft 18 of the motor extended through the end ofthe casing to revolve the propeller. lt will be obvious that 'the foregoing described structure will give passengers and others the impression-that the Vsame is actually the power plant and propelling means of anaeroplane.

To further detract attention irom the fact that the casing and cylinders is not a genuine gasolene engine sparking plugs i9 are mounted upon the tubular member 16 in valinement with the cylinder 12, rsaid plugs heilig arranged with an opening 2O transversely therethrough and carrying a pair of electrodes with the terminals located within the opening 20 in spaced relation to each other or with a gap between the same whereby the spark may be visually observed, as clearly `shown in Figure 5. The plugs are connected in Vcircuit with a source of :electricity which may be .a suitable battery as shown at 23, with a conductor 24 leading fromthe battery connected in series with one electrode of the respective plugs.

rllhe other electrodes of the plugs have conductors leading therefrom, .as shown at 25,

-connected to terminal contacts in ran insulaior member 26 with which .a movable contactmember 26 connected iny circuit with the battery by a conductor 27 is adapted to co-operate to successively open and close thel circuits of the plugs and thereby successively create a spark at :the respective plugs.y

The make and 'break contact 26 is carried `by a member 28 rotatably carried on a stud fixed in t-he'insulator member 26 and is arranged with internal gear teeth 29 to mesh with a vpinion 30 .fixed tothe shaft of the motor .lvl to drive the contact maker from the motor at a reduced speed relative to the speed of the motor. The electrical connection of the one `electrode of the plugs with the conductor leading from the batt-ery is tl F-ough the 'tubular 'tie members l5. .The conductors from the yplugs may be dirough tubular ineinber '3l exte- .e casing, such tubular `member being provided to simulate the exhaust or intake manifold usually `utilizedin gasolene engines. The contact carrier 28 may be made of conducting material and to insulate the same from the :motor the pinion` 30 may be made of Ynon-conducting material, or the contact maker 26 may be connected to a hand of conducting material surroundand insu-lated from the .carrier and toV with the terminals inY spa.-

ity and in series connect the same with the source of electricity a rubbing contact 32 is connected to the conductor 27, as shown in Figure 6.

To further impress passengers of the genuineness of the apparatus means is provided to emit a sound similar to the noise of the operation of an engine, and for-this purpose a toothed wheel 33 is fixed on the propeller shaft to rotate therewith, and as the said wheel rotates yielding means in the form of a spring detent 3a fixed ,o the casing is caused to ride over the teeth of the wheel, :and'to conceal .the toothed wheel ,and detent ashield mount-ed on a bracket 3G secured to rthe end of the casing is arranged to .extend over the toothed wheel and detent.

Having thus described my yinvention l claim:

1. Apparatus for use in connectionwith passenger carrying cars of aeroplane swings to simulate the power plant of an aeroplane, comprising a casing, cylindrical members connected to the casing, and plugs mounted in superposed relation to each cylinder, each ,plug having a pair of electrodes connected in circuit-with a. source .of electricityy with the terminals thereof in spaced relation and the plugs arranged to vexpose thetermi-nals for visual observation.

2. Apparatus for use in connection with passenger carrying cars vof aeroplane swings to simulate .the power plant of an aeroplane, comprising a casing, mounted upon the casing, plugs mounted in superposed relation to each cylindrical member arranged with a pair of electrodes connected in circuit with a source `of electricity with the terminals thereof inl spaced relation and the plugs arranged to expose the terminals for-visual observation, and means operativey for successively open-ing and closing the circuit for .the respective plugs for the pur-pose specified.

3. The combination witlrpassenger carrying cars of aeroplane swings, of apparatus to simulate the power plant of an aeroplane, comprising a casing mounted-upon the forward end of the car, cylinders mounted upon the casing in alined arrangement, plugs mounted in superposed relation to the cylders, each plug having aLpair of electrodes d relation and the -p-lug arranged for visual observation .of said `electrode terminals, an electric current conductor connected to a source y.of electricwith an electrode of the respective plugs, electric conductors connected t0 the other electrode of the respective plugs and arranged with contact te11minals,lamov able contact connected in lcircuit with the source 'of electricity and imeans to successively move said movable contact .and .out of .Contact with the ,contact V.terminals :of

.the electrodes connected in circuit the inn one electrode of the specified,

4. The combination with passenger carrying cars of aeroplane swings, of a casing having cylindrical members connected thereto mounted upon the forward end of the car, plugs mounted upon the cylindrical members including a pair of electrodes connected with a source of electricity and having terminals arranged in spaced relation and exposed for visual obserifatiom-and means arranged in the casing and in the circuit of the plugs with the source of electricity operative for successively connecting the plugs into and cutting the same out of circuit with the source of electricity for the purpose specified.

5. In aeroplane swings, the combination with a passenger carryingY car, of means mounted upon the car' comprising a casing and cylinders to simulate a gasolene engine, a propeller arranged at the end of said casing, a toothed member rotatable with the propeller, and va yielding member yto cooperate with said toothed member to ride o-ver the teeth thereof as the ropeller is ro` tated for the purpose specified.

6. An imitation motor for aeroplane swings, comprising a casing and connected plugs for the purpose cylindrical members constructed and arranged tO simulate the crank caseand cylinders of a gasolene engine, a ropeller rotatably carried at one end o the casing, a toothed wheel rotatable with thepropeller, and a spring detent to co-operate with the teeth of said wheel as the propeller is revolved for the purpose specied.

7. The combination with swings, of apparatus to simulate the power plant of an aeroplane, comprising a casing and cylindrical members connected thereto, an electric motor in the casing having the shaft thereofr extended through one end of the casing, and a propeller mounted on the extended motor shaft, an electric sparking plug mounted upon each cylinder having aeroplane electrodes with the terminals in spaced rela-` tion and the plugs arranged for visual observation of the terminals of the electrodes; a source of electricity in circuit with said plugs including a make and break contact operative from the motor to successively close and open the circuit for the respective plugs for the purpose specified.

Signed at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver, and State of Pennsylvania, this sixth day of F ebrua 1922.

HA RY G. TRAVER. 

